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Skjaldbakka
2007-11-30, 01:02 AM
The Basics:

This is an attempt at a single-class system. There are actually four classes, but only one is intended for PC use. Obviously, the PCs are expected to play the part of the Hero, and the system balances the classes with that in mind.

This is a spin-off of D&D, and the rules reference alot of mechanics from the PHB, such as the paladin's Lay on Hands ability.

Some Common Houserules that are an intrinsic part of this system:

Defense Bonus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/defenseBonus.htm)

Damage Conversion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/damageConversion.htm)

Reserve Points (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/reservePoints.htm)

Magic Rating (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/magicRating.htm)

Recharge Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/rechargeMagic.htm)

Recharge Manuevers
-Manuevers have recharge times as well as spells. This system obviously doesn't use the ToB classes, but a variation of Martial Study is a complex feat. Manuevers and spells have a very similar mechanic in this system, which is laid out in the magic section.

Skjaldbakka
2007-11-30, 01:04 AM
The Hero:


Full BAB
Defense Bonus D
Magic Rating C
d10 HD
All Saves = Level
All skills are class skills
4+int skills/level

Bonus Simple Feat at 1,2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20
Bonus Complex Feat at 5,10,15,20
Favored Weapon at 1,4,8,12,16,20

Proficient with all armor and shields.
Proficient with all simple weapons.
Proficient with one exotic weapon or two martial weapons.

Favored Weapon:
level 1: Weapon Focus
level 4: Weapon Specialization
level 8: Improved Critical
level 12: Greater Weapon Focus
level 16: Greater Weapon Specialization
level 20: Augmented Critical*

The Hero has a particular weapon that he prefers to use most of the time. Most of the feats ought to be self-explanatory. Augmented Critical triples the threat range of the weapon and increases the critical mulitplier by one (this replaces the effects of Improved Critical).


The Villain:


Full BAB
Defense Bonus D
Magic Rating B
d12 HD
All Saves = Level
4+int skills/level

Bonus Simple Feat at 1,2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20
Bonus Complex Feat at 5,10,15,20
Favored Weapon at 1,4,8,12,16,20

Proficient with all armor and shields.
Proficient with all simple weapons.
Proficient with one exotic weapon or two martial weapons.

Improved Damage Conversion
The Villain doubles the amount of non-lethal damage his armor prevents, and doubles the amount of damage his armor converts to non-lethal damage.

Improved Reserve Pool
The Villain's Reserve Pool is double his HPs, and he recovers one HP from his reserve every round, instead of every minute.



The Minion:

3/4 BAB
Defense Bonus C
Magic Rating C
d8 HD
All Saves = 1/2 Level
2+int skills/level

Bonus Simple Feat at 2,4,8,12,16,20
Bonus Complex Feat at 10,20
Favored Weapon at 1,4,8,12,16,20

Proficient with all armor and shields.
Proficient with all simple weapons.
Proficient with one exotic weapon or two martial weapons.

No Reserve
Minions can only recover HP through bed rest and magical healing

Inferior Damage Conversion
Minions do not reduce the non-lethal damage they take by wearing armor. Minions convert only 1/2 of the normal amount of damage to non-lethal by wearing armor.



The Townsfolk

1/2 BAB
Defense Bonus B
Magic Rating - (no inherent magical ability)
d6 HD
All Saves = 1/2 Level
2+int skills/level

Bonus Simple Feat at 5, 15
Bonus Complex Feat at 10, 20

Proficient with two simple weapons or one martial weapon.
Proficient with one type of light armor, or with shields (but not tower shields).

No Reserve
Townsfolk can only recover HP through bed rest and magical healing

Inferior Damage Conversion
Townsfolk do not reduce the non-lethal damage they take by wearing armor. Townsfolk convert only 1/2 of the normal amount of damage to non-lethal by wearing armor.




The Design Philosophy for these classes is that Minions can terrorize the townsfolk, Heroes defeat minions, and Villains are more powerful than Heroes.

The desired balance I am looking for is as follows:
It takes 4 townsfolk to beat a minion of equal level
It takes 4 minions to beat a hero of equal level
It takes 4 heroes to beat a villain of equal level

Skjaldbakka
2007-11-30, 01:06 AM
A note on feats: The feat a character gets every three levels can be either simple or complex. The bonus feat a human gets at 1st level must be a simple feat.

Simple Feats:
All PHB feats are simple feats. Open-Minded should be always be allowed with this system, to facilitate highly skilled characters.

Additional Simple Feats:
Practiced Spell:
Your caster level is treated as 3 higher for the purposes of a single spell. You may take this feat even for spells you do not yet know.

Practiced Manuever:
Your initiator level is treated as 3 higher for the purposes of a single manuever or stance. You may take this feat even for manuevers/stances you do not yet know.

Complex Feats:
Many of these feats can be taken more than once.
Z is short for "the number of times you have taken this feat"

Expert:
You gain an additional 2 skill points per level.
The maximum number of ranks you may have in a skill is increased by 1.
You may take 10 on a number of skills equal to your intelligence modifier.
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack. The effects of this feat are retroactive.

Holy Warrior:
You may Lay on Hands (as a D&D paladin), for a total number of HP/day equal to 5Z times your charisma modifier.
You may make a smite attempt Z/day. You gain a bonus on your attack roll equal to your charisma modifier, and gain a bonus to damage equal to 5Z.
You gain a bonus on all saves equal to Z.
You may take this feat multiple times.

Clarification: Smite does not have to be a melee attack.


Healer:
You may Lay on Hands (as a D&D paladin), for a total number of HP/day equal to 5Z times your wisdom modifier.
When you make a heal check to stailize someone, they heal 1d4+Z HP, in addition to being stabilized.
When you provide long-term care, the recipient heals 1d4+Z points of ability damage per day, in addition to the normal amount.
When you make a heal check against the secondary effects of a poison, you also heal Z points of the ability damage dealt by the poison initially.

Rogue:
You deal +1d6 points of damage to any opponent that is denied its dexterity bonus to AC, and to any opponent that you are flanking. This bonus only applies to ranged attacks if the target is within 1 range increment of the weapon you are using (or close range for spells). You also gain a special ability, chosen from the following list:
Evasion, Improved Evasion, Opportunist, Poison Use, Death Attack, Defensive Roll, Hide in Plain Sight (crowd), Hide in Plain Sight (terrain X), Hide in Plain Sight (shadows), Crippling Strike, Slippery Mind
You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

Sorcerer's Boon:
You know how to cast two spells, at a caster level appropriate for your magic rating. If you have an effective caster level of 0, you cast at an effective caster level of 1 instead. In order to know a 2nd level or higher spell, your caster level must be twice the spell level of the spell, minus one.
3 for 2nd level, 5 for 3rd level, 7 for 4th level, 9 for 5th level, 11 for 6th level, 13 for 7th level, and 15 for 8th level. You cannot learn a 9th level spell with this feat. In order to cast a spell, you must have an intelligence, wisdom, or charisma score equal to 10+ the spell's level. The save DC for spells you cast with this feat is equal to 10+the spell's level+ your Int, Wis, or Cha modifier (whichever is highest). You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

Magical Training:
You know how to cast one spell, at a caster level appropriate for your magic rating. If you have an effective caster level of 0, you cannot take this feat. Your caster level increases by one when you take this feat.
In order to know a 2nd level or higher spell, your caster level must be twice the spell level of the spell, minus one.
3 for 2nd level, 5 for 3rd level, 7 for 4th level, 9 for 5th level, 11 for 6th level, 13 for 7th level, 15th for 8th level, and 17th for 9th level. In order to cast a spell, you must have an intelligence, wisdom, or charisma score equal to 10+ the spell's level. The save DC for spells you cast with this feat is equal to 10+the spell's level+ your Int, Wis, or Cha modifier (whichever is highest). You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

Martial Study:
You learn how to use two manuevers, chosen from any discipline. You must meet the prerequisites for that manuever as normal. Every three times you take this feat, you also gain access to a stance. You initiator level is based on your magic rating. Manuevers recover in the same amount of time it would take for a spell of the same level to recharge. If your initiator level is 0, your initiator level is increased to 1.

Spell Mastery:
Your magic rating improves by one category, for the purposes of spells. This feat may only be taken once.

Martial Adept:
Your magic rating improves by one category, for the purposes of manuevers. This feat may only be taken once.

Rage:

You gain the ability to enter a rage in combat. You gain Z+2 strength, dexterity, and constitution when in a rage. You rage lasts for Z+constitution modifier rounds, after which you are fatigued for 1 minute. You may not enter a rage when fatigued. You may take this feat multiple times.

Battle Hardened:

You gain +Z hp/level.
You gain a bonus to initiative checks equal to Z.
You increase your effective armor bonus by Z for purposes of Damage Conversion.


Assassin:

prereq: Death Attack or Poison Use
Your Death Attack and Poison DCs improve by Z


Duelist:
prereq: Combat Expertise
Benefit: When fighting defensively or using combat expertise, you may add your intelligence modifier to your to-hit and AC as an insight bonus. This benefit does not apply when wielding a two-handed weapon or when using a shield. You gain your intelligence modifier as an insight bonus to Reflex saves when not flat-footed.

Skjaldbakka
2007-11-30, 01:16 AM
The PC starts with the slowest caster level progression in the game, requiring that he sacrifice investment in other areas of his character in order to be a full spellcaster. This also leaves the player free to dabble if he likes. It is worth mentioning that at level 20, a Hero could have a caster level of 21, if he takes Magical Training and Spell Mastery for all of his complex feats. Such a character would only know 11 spells, however.

Metamagic feats are applied to known spells, and increase the spell level of the spell. This has three effects. First, the character must have a caster level of 2X the effective level of the spell, -1, in order to cast it with a metamagic feat applied. Second, applying metamagic to a spell increases the casting time to a full round. Third, the increase in effective spell level increases the amount of time before the spell recharges.


Clarification:

In the case of manuevers, the time it takes to recover a manuever is identical to the amount of time it would require for you to recharge a spell of the same level (assuming your caster level and initiator level are the same).

Maldraugedhen
2007-12-02, 05:39 PM
Vaguely surprised this didn't get any comments.

It's an interesting system idea, although it doesn't seem to leave much room for minion variance (high-ranking lieutenants versus cannon fodder), short of hiking the level, but I suppose that's the same thing as increasing CR.

Skjaldbakka
2007-12-03, 03:23 AM
I was hoping for some input myself. I'm somewhat dry on ideas for fightery complex feats.

brian c
2007-12-03, 03:52 AM
I love the idea; I want to run a game with this now. It's simple, but I think it would be great for straightup dungeon-crawling or kingdom-saving.

For complex fighter-y feats, how about if you rolled the combat expertise tree into one? Or TWF, or archery (to simulate a Ranger), or unarmed (simulate a monk). A suggestion in the vein of the "assassin" feat, how about one for Duelist (the only other Core melee PrC)


Also:


The PC starts with the slowest caster level progression in the game, requiring that he sacrifice investment in other areas of his character in order to be a full spellcaster. This also leaves the player free to dabble if he likes. It is worth mentioning that at level 20, a Hero could have a caster level of 21, if he takes Magical Training and Spell Mastery for all of his complex feats. Such a character would only know 11 spells, however.

Maybe I'm just missing something, but I don't see how Magical Training boosts caster level. Spell Mastery bumps you up a category, but Magical Training (as written, I think) only lets you learn a spell, not affecting caster level. Are you assuming that every simple feat is Practiced Spell? Also, if so, I assume that Practiced Spell (and Practiced Maneuver also I suppose) is not capped at your HD?

Nevermind, saw what I was missing.

Skjaldbakka
2007-12-03, 01:48 PM
Here is my take on Duelist (complex feat):

Duelist:
prereq: Combat Expertise
Benefit: When fighting defensively or using combat expertise, you may add your intelligence modifier to your to-hit and AC as an insight bonus. This benefit does not apply when wielding a two-handed weapon or when using a shield. You gain your intelligence modifier as an insight bonus to Reflex saves when not flat-footed.

Thoughts?

brian c
2007-12-03, 02:51 PM
Here is my take on Duelist (complex feat):

Duelist:
prereq: Combat Expertise
Benefit: When fighting defensively or using combat expertise, you may add your intelligence modifier to your to-hit and AC as an insight bonus. This benefit does not apply when wielding a two-handed weapon or when using a shield. You gain your intelligence modifier as an insight bonus to Reflex saves when not flat-footed.

Thoughts?

Looks cool. A couple questions that I came up with while making a Villain earlier:

1) How does maneuver recharge work? You mention that spell and maneuver recharge is described in the Spells section, but that section does not address maneuvers.

2) If a Villain takes the complex feat Battle Hardened, how does it affect his class ability to double Damage Conversion? Does taking that feat once increase his damage conversion by 1, or is the double applied afterward, so increasing by 2?

Skjaldbakka
2007-12-04, 12:18 AM
1) How does maneuver recharge work? You mention that spell and maneuver recharge is described in the Spells section, but that section does not address maneuvers.

Take the manuever, and compare its level to the highest level manuever you can use (1/2 initiator level, rounded up). Once you have determined this, compare this to the recharge chart for spells. link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/magicRating.htm)
Which means that if you use a manuever that is the highest level manuever you can know, it will take 1d6+1 rounds to recover.


2) If a Villain takes the complex feat Battle Hardened, how does it affect his class ability to double Damage Conversion? Does taking that feat once increase his damage conversion by 1, or is the double applied afterward, so increasing by 2?

It is doubled afterward, increasing it by 2.

brian c
2007-12-04, 12:40 AM
Take the manuever, and compare its level to the highest level manuever you can use (1/2 initiator level, rounded up). Once you have determined this, compare this to the recharge chart for spells. link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/magicRating.htm)
Which means that if you use a manuever that is the highest level manuever you can know, it will take 1d6+1 rounds to recover.

So every maneuver is counted as "general"? Just checking; I suppose that makes sense.

Skjaldbakka
2007-12-04, 12:46 AM
yes, every manuever is counted as general.

OverWilliam
2007-12-04, 07:48 PM
Question about the Rogue feat: Other than being able to re-select an ability from the list, is there any other advantage to taking multiple levels in it? The Healer, Holy Warrior, and Sorcerer's Boon feats all have advantages to repeating (more potent healing, more damaging smiting, and more spells, respectively) but from what I see the Rogue class only gives you another ability from the (in my opinion, slightly limited) list.

brian c
2007-12-04, 07:58 PM
Question about the Rogue feat: Other than being able to re-select an ability from the list, is there any other advantage to taking multiple levels in it? The Healer, Holy Warrior, and Sorcerer's Boon feats all have advantages to repeating (more potent healing, more damaging smiting, and more spells, respectively) but from what I see the Rogue class only gives you another ability from the (in my opinion, slightly limited) list.

Each time you take Rogue you also add +1d6 sneak attack

OverWilliam
2007-12-05, 06:15 AM
I figured that would be it, but it wasn't very clear... If it had been written +Zd6 then I would've seen it better. Thanks. :smallbiggrin:

Skjaldbakka
2007-12-05, 06:20 AM
I almost wrote it that way, but then there would have been confusion over whether you can take Rogue multiple times for different abilities. Hence, "you may take this feat multiple times, its effects stack".

If I had included that and +Zd6 sneak attack, it could have been interpretted as getting +Zd6 each time you take the feat.

brian c
2007-12-05, 09:39 AM
I almost wrote it that way, but then there would have been confusion over whether you can take Rogue multiple times for different abilities. Hence, "you may take this feat multiple times, its effects stack".

If I had included that and +Zd6 sneak attack, it could have been interpretted as getting +Zd6 each time you take the feat.

What if you just wrote "you do an extra Zd6 damage" instead of +Zd6?

OverWilliam
2007-12-05, 04:22 PM
So it's basically a passive sneak attack, and then the sneak attack feat is a more powerful, active skill? Or does the skill give the effect of a sneak attack and then taking the feat doubles the sneak attack-ness of it?

Skjaldbakka
2007-12-05, 04:26 PM
There's a sneak attack feat?

OverWilliam
2007-12-05, 07:54 PM
Huh. Guess not.